Convertible crib and youth bed construction



June 9, 1964 D. SPENCER 3,

CONVERTIBLE CRIB AND YOUTH BED CONSTRUCTION Filed 001;. 21, 1963 INVENTOR AARON D. SPENCER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,135,973 CONVERTIBLE CRIB AND YOUTH BED CONSTRUCTION Aaron D. Spencer, Longrneadow, Mass. Baby Products Corp., 143 Shaker Road, East Longmeadow, Mass.)

Filed Oct. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 317,665 3 Claims. (Cl. 5-100) This invention relates to new and improved convertible crib and youth bed constructions. The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a two-part drop side for one side of the crib, said two parts of the drop side being normally connected to move together in the normal up-and-down motion of the usual drop side; however, the two parts are selectively separable and removable from the drop side mechanism, one part being intended to remain in its original position forming a youth bed guard for one side of the crib and the other part being removed and substituted for the drop side at the opposite side of the crib, thus converting the crib into a youth bed with two side guards.

Thus when the infant becomes old and active enough to be capable of getting out of bed himself, the mother can separate the two parts of the drop side and by applying the usual gate shoes for the drop side to the portion of the crib side removed, can utilize the same as a drop side at the opposite side of the crib so that the child is provided with a youth bed which will prevent him from accidentally falling out but at the same time the child can get in and out of bed by himself without assistance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation showing the device in the form of a crib, and

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the device when converted to a youth bed.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is here illustrated a crib which has corner posts and 12. There are of course four of these corner posts, one at each corner as usual. On each post there is a crib slide rod, these being all alike and all indicated by the reference numeral 14. These rods are detachably secured at their offset upper ends as at 16 to the respective crib corner posts so that the slide rods 14 are spaced from the corner posts. Angle brackets 18 are mounted on the corner posts adjacent the lower ends thereof, these being apertured and loosely receiving the lower ends of the slide rods 14. It is therefore seen that the crib slide rods can be removed simply by removing the usual fasteners which hold the offset portions 16 to the corner posts.

The two-part drop side which relates to the present invention is indicated by the reference numerals 20 and 22. The parts 20 and 22 are alike and in the illustration shown they are provided with rails 24 and 26 extending longitudinally from end-to-end thereof and on an incline so as to provide a high end 28 and a low end 30. The rails 24 and 26 are appropriately fastened together by removable means such as nuts, bolts, etc., these being indicated in dotted lines by the reference numeral 32, 32.

Each drop side also has a straight rail, these being indicated at 34, 34, and the rails are connected by the usual spindles, so that together the two elements 20 and 22 make up the equivalent of an ordinary drop side such as are well known in the art. In the present case the drop side is divided into two parts as along rails 24, 26, but upon removal of fasteners 32, 32 they can be disassembled.

The rails 24, 26 and 34, 34 are all provided at the ends thereof with apertures to slidably mount the same on the slide rods 14 and the straight rail 34 of the drop side part 20 is provided with a pair of the usual gate shoes 36, 36 which cooperate with the conventional spring-pressed pivoted latch member 38 to hold the drop side in its raised position. The gate shoes and the latch are old and well known and need not be further described, but it is to be understood that the crib drop side can be held at its upper position as shown in FIG. 1 or it can be dropped so that the straight rail 34 of the lower member 30 of the drop side rests on brackets 18, 18, or on the usual bumper springs which are provided therefor and which also are old and well known in the art.

The opposite drop side of the crib in FIG. 1 is of the usual one piece construction as is old and well known in the art.

When the infant becomes large and active enough to get out of bed by himself and no longer needs to be held in the crib, the slide rods 14 are removed sufiiciently to allow the removal of the upper portion22 of the novel drop side and the parts are then reassembled so that the part 20 appears as in FIG. 2. The part 22 now removed is then substituted for the opposite drop side on the slide rods 14, 14 at the rear portion of the crib. The original plain drop side is dispensed with so that both sides of the youth bed are provided with youth bed guards as shown in FIG. 2. These guards may be moved up and down as the original drop sides were and all that is necessary to do of course is to use an extra pair of gate shoes applied to the straight rail 34 of the part 22. For this predrilled holes may be provided so that all the mother has to do is to apply the shoes thereto with a screwdriver, and then as stated, replace the rear drop side of the crib with the youth bed guard 22 which can then be held in uppermost position as in FIG. 2 by the gate shoes applied. If desired, either or both sides 20 and 22 can then be dropped at the respective sides of the crib, as were the original sides.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A convertible crib and youth bed comprising a pair of spaced corner posts, one at each end of the crib, a mattress support, slide rods on the posts, said slide rods being likewise spaced and located at the ends of the crib, and drop sides on the slide rods, at least one drop side including a pair of like complementary parts, each part extending longitudinally the length of the respective drop side and each part being slidably engaged with a pair of spaced slide rods, means detachably securing the drop side parts together, each part including a youth bed guard portion, one of the parts being selectively removable from the slide rods on which it is mounted, turned upside down, and substituted for the other drop side leaving the other part in its original position.

2. A convertible crib and youth bed comprising a pair of spaced corner posts, one at each end of the crib, a mattress support, slide rods on the posts, saidslide rods being likewise spaced and located at the ends of the crib, and drop sides on the slide rods, at least one drop side including a pair of like complementary parts, each part extending longitudinally the length of the respective drop side and each part being slidably engaged with a pair of spaced slide rods, means detachably securing the drop side parts together, each part including a relatively wide youth bed guard portion and a relatively narrow remainder, one of the parts being selectively removable from the slide rods on which it is mounted, turned upside down, and substituted for the other drop side leaving the other part in its original position, with both relatively 3 wide youth bed guard portions at the same end of the References Cited in the file of this patent bed.

3. The convertible crib and youth bed of claim 2 in- UNITED STATES PATENTS eluding a curved edge rail for each part and a straight 213691552 Ferran 1945 2,754,524 Densmore July 17, 1956 edge rail, the curved edge rails mating when the parts are 5 secured together and the straight edge rails forming top and bottom rails for the complete drop side. 

1. A CONVERTIBLE CRIB AND YOUTH BED COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED CORNER POSTS, ONE AT EACH END OF THE CRIB, A MATTRESS SUPPORT, SLIDE RODS ON THE POSTS, SAID SLIDE RODS BEING LIKEWISE SPACED AND LOCATED AT THE ENDS OF THE CRIB, AND DROP SIDES ON THE SLIDE RODS, AT LEAST ONE DROP SIDE INCLUDING A PAIR OF LIKE COMPLEMENTARY PARTS, EACH PART EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THE LENGTH OF THE RESPECTIVE DROP SIDE AND EACH PART BEING SLIDABLY ENGAGED WITH A PAIR OF SPACED SLIDE RODS, MEANS DETACHABLY SECURING THE DROP SIDE PARTS TOGETHER, EACH PART INCLUDING A YOUTH BED 